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Ms. Answerman: Revenge of the Anime Nerds

by Rebecca Bundy, May 20th 2005

Though I've included links to various sites before now, I'm
going to try and include more ‘further reading’ links for topics
that will provide added information relating to, but not directly answering,
the question at hand. I'll always summarize things so that a reader will
never have to rely on a link to answer a question, but if you're interested
in taking a dip into the wealth of anime-related knowledge available, the links
will be there for you to swim through.
Enjoy!

In the news it said Funimation was going to release Kodocha. But is it going to
be on T.V. or just DVD? I really want to know!

While this would probably be a good title for American TV, there hasn't been word about current plans to air it. The first volume comes out in June and there are
10 volumes of manga to sink your teeth into, so there's plenty of stuff
for Kodocha fans to keep themselves busy with.

i have been following and watching anime for only 4 years now and this site has
become a esential tool to help me decide what to look at next however i was thinking
the other night where did it all begin american animation can be traced back to
steam boat willie but could you help me discover wher and when anime first began
as id like to see the first ever evn if its only in japanese with no subs i think
watching it could be quite inersting and maybie the site could have a time line
of important events in the history of anime as a section so people can see what
the fist mecha anime was wen did they finally start subbing officialy in the united
state etc etc. I thank you in advance for your time in reading this message and
ask politly that if you do not know the answer could you piont me towards a source
where i may find it.
Yours faithfully
Steven Barrance

Punctuation, spelling, and capitalization are our friends! They really
do love us and wish we'd use them more when composing emails, writing
those difficult essays for school, and otherwise using the written word to communicate
with others.
The very first animated ‘movie’ (it was only five minutes long),
Mukuzo Imokawa the Doorman, was released in 1917. Shortly after this, the ‘movie’
Momotaro was created by Seitaro Kitayama and focused on the classic Japanese
fable about a young peach boy. Though there were a number of animated ‘movies’
produced after 1917, anime really didn't take off until WW2. The Japanese
leaders, like most leaders do in a time of war, use multiple outlets to spread
their propaganda. Anime was the perfect way to spread their message in an oftentimes
humorous setting.
The first anime released theatrically in the US was Shōnen Sarutobi Sasuke (Magic
Boy) in 1961. This site has a very nice timeline on anime up to the present. Another site I used to
verify some names is here,
if you're interested in a slightly longer read. Finally, if you've
never read the story of Momotaro, go read it here.

Hi, Rebecca!
I'm curious as to why the anime series Detective Conan (Case Closed in the U.S.)
is so popular in Japan. I watched some of the episodes that aired on Adult Swim,
and I thought that it was just an average series with below-average animation
and unispiring characters. Yet, this series has over 450 episodes and around 14
movies. Why is this series such a dominate dynasty in Japan?
Thanks,
biliano

Every culture and nation has their own preferences, whether it's
food, political leaders, religion, or entertainment. Anime is no different.
Shows like Escaflowne weren't very popular in Japan, yet they've
become extremely popular among American fans. The opposite is also true, as
it is with Detective Conan. It's simply a cultural taste that sometimes,
even with the best translations and explanations, doesn't translate well
into English.
This response might be vague, but it's sometimes hard to nail down exactly
why something is popular (though I'm sure some people might have their
own beliefs). A show like Escaflowne had wonderful music, good animation, interesting
characters, and an interesting plot and overall story, yet these things did
not make it a hit over there. Why? Perhaps the Japanese could not relate to
the characters, or the cultural attitude at that time was interested in something
else. Perhaps it simply wasn't “Japanese” enough. The same
could be asked about Detective Conan and other shows like it.

Since they just ended Gundam Seed on Cartoon Network ( Which was my all time favorite
show by the way) I was wondering if they're working on Seed's successor or if
(God
forbid) Seed was the end of the Gundamfranchise?

The only thing that'd end the Gundamfranchise would be the total
annihilation of the human race. Or the complete collapse of the Japanese economy.
Or... well you get the point.
As for the immediate future of Gundam, Gundam Seed Destiny has been licensed
and will be released to DVD. Games are being released every six months to a
year (Gundam: True Odyssey, is due out in Japan this summer), though I'm
not sure if any of them are worth buying since I've never played them.
There are also a bunch of things being released around now to celebrate 25 years
of Gundam, one of which is a Japanese theatrical release called Mobile Suit
Zeta Gundam: A New Translation, which is just a re-mastered version of the original
Zeta Gundam TV series.

Answerman!
Today the The Family Entertainment and Copyright Act was sign into law today.
What does this mean for us Anime fans that download fan sub anime? Are we all
going to jail? Can I get a "get out of jail free card?"
Ryan

This act has no bearing on the anime fans who limit their criminal
activities to only downloading subtitled shows. The bill is meant to target
two types of people: those who record a movie/show/etc that has been licensed
and are not recording it for personal use at home, and those who distribute
said stolen material on a large scale, either for sale or free downloads online.
In Section 103.a.1.B, it mentions that the titles being distributed must have
a retail value of over $1,000, so the bill is trying to target larger distributors.
It's also trying to target people who either sneak a recording device
into a theatre to get a CAM rip, or rip the property straight from a final copy/DVD/etc.
The bill was originally passed in regards to the overwhelming number of American
movies being downloaded illegally, though it's worded so that charges
could be brought up against someone distributing a large selection of licensed
anime as well. Would it ever be used in this way? Perhaps, but it'd be
on a much smaller scale and could only target larger sites.
For anyone who's interested in reading the entire Act (it's quite
long and boring, though maybe someone would enjoy reading it), you can check
it out here.

PONYCAN USA launched a few months back with two shows: Denki-Gai and Yuki Yuna is a Hero. Executive Director Kazuyoshi Fukuba answers a few questions about what to expect, and what's up with those prices.― PONYCAN USA is the newly-minted US distribution arm of Pony Canyon, which has been in the Japanese media business since 1966. PONYCAN USA follows the example set by Aniplex of America, in that th...

Shinichiro Watanabe's zany sci-fi showcase for his artist pals winds up on bluray today, loaded with special features in a limited edition with a hefty price tag. Mike Toole investigates.― Space Dandy is a series full of magic-- a magic that first reveals itself late in episode 1, during a sequence in which the show's titular hero and his new pal, Meow, are forced to run away from a pack of jumbo-si...

Find out if you won!― Thank you (again) for entering our contest (again). Winners: Patrick Nakasone, Honolulu, Hi Hiddi Jordan, Bailey, Mi Saul Diaz, Arleta, Ca Watch for our next give-away coming SOON! In the meantime, head over to SpaceDandy.com to find out more about FUNimation's awesome Space Dandy sets.

This little-seen family adventure about a group of tanuki living in Kyoto has careful writing and beautiful scenery; Nick Creamer thinks it might just be a modern classic.― In the guidebook accompanying Eccentric Family, series composer Shotaro Suga speaks frankly of the difficulty of condensing an entire book into an anime, and the question of where to even begin telling the story. “There are just ...

Every good fantasy series has a few incredible elf ladies on display. Today, Lynzee decides to finally share the elf.― The term "bombshell" was coined, very appropriately, during World War II to refer to the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, and other sex symbols of the era. There aren't any elves in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but there are plenty of wild, voluptuous fantasy women wielding swor...

Deadman Wonderland is a dark, unsettling look into a private prison abusing the system for the whims of the Warden and a few governmental higher ups.― Ever since 1864, a “wonderland” has been a world where the rules of logic do not apply, a carnival that can be by turns fun and frightening. Deadman Wonderland has been playing with that definition since its first volume, and now in its seventh we beg...